FEATURE
Interview ASH Scholar Awards
University of California San Francisco, commented
that the ASH Scholar Award helped to establish her
lab in the field of normal and malignant hematology.
“It jumpstarted my research into the basic biologic
mechanisms controlling myeloid differentiation from
hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in stress, disease,
and aging conditions. I am now using these discoveries as a springboard to identify new
therapeutic strategies interfering
with HSC differentiation pathways
to treat human leukemia,” she said.
Gary Gilliland, MD, PhD,
president and director of the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research
Gary Gilliland, MD,
PhD
Center, received the award in the
1990s and also attributes it to his
early success as a researcher. “The ASH Scholar
Award was the single most important grant in
support of my early career development. I would
not be where I am today as president and director
of Fred Hutch without the vote of confidence that I
received from ASH so many years ago,” he said. Dr.
Gilliland offered insight into why the award is such
an important touchstone in people’s careers: “One
corollary that enables collaboration is that the award
is positioned at a perfect time in a person’s career. If
that person is bright and collaborative, it provides
a platform for developing it. It gives you freedom
and confidence in yourself at a time when you
desperately need it. You have someone who believes
in you. The resources give you a chance to do things
you might not have otherwise done.”
Dr. Gilliland has mentored a
number of ASH Scholar Award
recipients, including Ross Levine,
MD, from the Human Oncology
and Pathogenesis Program at the
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center in New York City. Like his
Ross Levine, MD
mentor, Dr. Levine continues the
tradition of giving back. “I’ve had the opportunity
at least twice to be on the panel to choose ASH
scholars. I’ve also had the opportunity to mentor
three people getting the ASH Scholar Award. So, for
me, having been mentored by someone who was
an ASH scholar, having been an ASH scholar, and
now mentoring another scholar is all about paying
it forward. In my case, it’s really a three-generation
experience. I’m quite hopeful that my trainees will
train future ASH scholars.”
FIGURE.
ASH Scholar Award Co-Authorship Map
Scholar awardees with 10 or more papers were plotted on this map. The lines on the map indicate researchers
who have been co-authors with other Scholar awardees, and the more co-authorships one has, the larger his
or her circle appears. The colors are clusters in which the computer program indicated a high degree of coauthorship. Those who do not have any co-authorships do not appear on the map. The network is composed of
68 percent of all Scholar Award recipients, with a total of 910 links between awardees, illustrating the power of
mentorship and collaboration among the ASH Scholar community.
Dr. Gilliland and Dr. Levine are not alone
in their efforts to work with other ASH Scholar
Award recipients. Two-thirds of the awardees have
collaborated with at least one other awardee. In
addition to mentoring, awardees have become
involved in ASH in various capacities. Many said
the program was their first meaningful interaction
with ASH, and it strengthened
their relationship with the
Society.
Referencing the monetary
benefits of the award, former ASH
President Linda J. Burns, MD,
said, “The money is one thing.
Linda J. Burns, MD
It supports your research, it
gets you started, and leads to more independent
funding and recognition from ASH. But, it makes
you personally feel connected to
the Society, and it’s hard to put a
dollar amount on that.” Robert
A. Brodsky, MD, expressed a
similar sentiment: “I think it was
my entrée into the Society. I’ve
Robert A. Brodsky, MD stayed very involved with ASH
throughout the years. I think
the ASH Scholar Award really put a good taste in
my mouth, and I’m the co-scientific chair of the
meeting this year. I’m on the Program Committee.
There’s no question that this has paid dividends for
me, and I hope for ASH, too. ●
ASH Scholar Awards By the Numbers
In the past 30 years, Scholar awardees have gone on to be awarded more than
$1 billion from various funding institutions, including:
• more than $930 million in NIH funding
• more than $120 million in non-NIH grants
In the last three years, or since receiving the Scholar Award, half of program
alumni reported the following achievements:
• publishing 2,300+ manuscripts and +250 books
• attending 1,250+ professional meetings
• presenting 1,400+ presentations on their research
• receiving 80 patents
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ASH Clinical News
December 2016